Tax Matters - The Top Tax Defenders Blog

If you operate a home-based business, you're probably familiar with the large number of home office expenses you can deduct. However, one of the most valuable deductions available to self-employed taxpayers may also pose the highest number of tax pitfalls: the home office deduction. Due to some IRS problems with tax audits in the past, some taxpayers who are legitimately entitled to claim this deduction refrain from doing so. To be clear, people who are qualified for the home office tax deduction should use it, but they must make sure that their records and use meet the IRS guidelines. 

Tax day is a source of dread to many people, which is why so many taxpayers neglect to file their taxes until the very last minute. If you'd like to look at the lighter side of the tax code, here are five fun tax facts to take your mind off your potential tax bill. 

Working for yourself can be a great way to earn a living. You may enjoy greater freedom about when and where you work or about the field in which you work. If you plan it carefully, you might even get to pick a career that you truly love. However, taxpayers who work for themselves can also fall into complicated tax scenarios, especially when they pay for costs that benefit them both personally and professionally. To avoid dealing with IRS tax audits, it's important to learn how to keep your personal and business taxes separate. 

Home business owners are responsible for keeping up with several income tax forms each year. Depending on the type of business they operate, these entrepreneurs may have to file many forms and schedules along with their Form 1040. Since each form carries a separate set of instructions, the thought of learning how to complete them all can be overwhelming. 

If you own and operate a retail business, you might consider hiring seasonal employees to help you get through the shopping rushes in the summer and around the holidays. The good thing about using seasonal help is that you can get the assistance of a full-time employee without having to make the long-term commitment. 

The IRS takes a very strict stance toward taxpayers who fail to file their tax returns on time or pay their tax liability in a timely manner. Depending on the situation, a taxpayer who fails to file and pay promptly can end up owing both penalties and interest, in addition to the original amount due. Before you consider holding out on making your tax payment, it's good to find out about the potential penalties for late filing and payment. If you learn how to estimate tax penalties, you'll be able to guess how much you have to set aside to clear up your account.  

Are you the administrator of a qualified nonprofit organization? Since these organizations are often exempt from taxation by the IRS, you might mistakenly fail to file an annual tax return with the government because you thought you didn't need to file your taxes. While it's true that your nonprofit may not have to pay taxes, your group may still be obligated to provide certain information to the IRS annually.

Have you heard the term "investment income"? Do you know what it means? If you're an American citizen who has money in an interest-earning bank account, mutual fund, or stock, you need to know about your personal investment income and whether it's taxable. If it is, you'll have to calculate the appropriate tax rate and include it in your taxable income for the year. Since tax rates for investment income can fluctuate, understanding how different types of investment earnings are calculated is critical to complying with IRS regulations. 

If you're a small business owner who is looking to hire on a few workers, you may be searching for ways to reduce your payroll budget. It's no secret that hiring employees can be costly, especially considering employers are responsible for paying federal payroll taxes, unemployment taxes, and health benefits. Some companies have used a workaround by hiring independent contractors or temporary employees, rather than full-time employees, to their workforce. While it may seem that independent contractors and temporary workers are interchangeable, they are not. The two statuses are very different, and they should be treated differently by business owners. 

Seasonal employees are workers who take jobs that only last for a few weeks or a couple of months during a specific season. Most commonly, these employees are hired on to give a business additional help during a busy period such as the summer season or the retail holiday season. In many cases, seasonal employees are students who work during school breaks or adults who are supplementing their full-time pay with part-time work. No matter their individual situations, it's important for seasonal employees to understand their tax implications so that they can avoid paying tax penalties with their returns.